Friday, February 26, 2010

Well this last week at the MTC was really good again. The weeks keep getting faster. It started snowing again here and we have a really cool view of these mountains. We went and did a session today at the temple and it was really nice. The walk there was kind of chilly but it was worth it. Afterwards Elder Kunz and I got another haircut here. The lady doing it went really fast and she had me slouch in the chair so she could see the top of my head haha.

I talked to Rachel at the last devotional for a while and we talked about different adventures here at the MTC. I guess her class doesn't have cushioned chairs like ours, so I got her a seat cushion from one of the other classes. I hid it in a fire cabinet thing for her to pick up on her way to class. I haven't asked her yet how she likes it. At the devotional a member from the Seventy came and talked about humanitarian missions. It was Jay E. Jensen.

Today I actually had to get a new account and everything for my email thing because they switched servers to gmail. They let me get on a mac computer to do it and I had to go to my yahoo account. It was so weird seeing what is going on in the outside world.

I finished the Book of Mormon a few days ago and just started D&C. It is really interesting and you have to constantly have your scripture marker with you. Also, I can't say my prayers in English any more. In the temple today I tried and it didn't feel comfortable. I couldn't say the words I wanted to and if I did it was in Spanish phrases haha. I guess that is a good sign.

For Gym I have started running again with one of the missionaries from my district. Elder Brown, my running partner, was actually the line up kicker for LSU, pretty cool. He is pretty funny too. At a few of the mock investigator lessons I couldn't stop laughing when we pared up with his companions. I don't think I have laughed as much as I have here in the MTC. Elder Neal was telling us a story the other night that made me laugh so hard. It had to do with a bike ramp, the hospital, and a hackysack game at a Youth Conference. You would have been rolling on the ground laughing mom if you had heard it, cause I did. If I am lucky we may get pared up in Nicaragua. Well I am really enjoying my time here at the MTC and can't believe it will only be 3 1/2 weeks till we are in Nicaragua. Well I love you all and thanks for sending all those letters.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Well this week has gone by really fast. It seems like the time is getting faster and faster the more I am here. They said it continues throughout your mission, so I better get busy or else it will be over before I know it. Spanish is coming along great. I can't imagine going at this same pace outside of the mission. The gift of tongues is definitely in effect here. I can give almost all the principles in Spanish generally as of now, but I still need improvement. We have been teaching a progressive investigator the last few weeks and it is pretty fun. His name is Jorge and he is not cooperating very well. But it is a lot of fun.

I got a free sweater from one of the Elders from my district the other day. So now I don't have to wear the bulky jacket around. I have to share it though with my companion because he didn't bring a sweater and it has been snowing. I have seen Rachel a lot, mainly between meals, in the morning's that we get a sack breakfast, and at devotionals. I have gotten to talk to her to a lot too. I have taken a few cool pictures that I will have to send. My schedule is really long and sort of confusing so I will have to send a copy of it in an envelope or something. This week was the last week that the district above us is going to be here, the fun district that has the cool ideas, so we have been having a lot of sleepovers. We drag our mattresses into the room that is hosting the event and line them up on the ground. You learn a lot about people when you stay the night. It reminds me about the good days in scouts and camping. Unfortunately, we didn't get to sleep till kind of late and I have been kind of tired. They also have a bunch of cool stuff that they won't be able to take with them so I'll be getting some fun stuff. I already claimed a super comfy pad one of the Elders has for his bed that he some how got from the senior missionaries place. I am having a really good time here at the MTC and I can't wait to get into field. Thank you everyone that has been writing to me and I love you all.

Friday, February 12, 2010

I am having a great time here at the MTC still. The time is getting faster and faster as the days keep coming. Well, today we went to the Provo temple again and Elder Kunz and I stayed in there for about half an hour just reading, which was really cool. We have taken some pictures while we have been here so I will have to send you some soon. Spanish is getting better and I can understand what people are saying to me now, when speaking Spanish. I really appreciate the Valentines package and I am looking forward to finishing it off soon. I liked the pictures and shorts too.

I got my Hep A shot yesterday and now my arm is pretty sore. I guess when the nurse did it, she hit a nerve and it made my arm twitch, which was weird. I got a sucker afterwards and a bill for $70 dollars.

It has been crazy here, seeing people that look like someone else. I have seen two people here so far that I had to take a double look to make sure.

Oh, last P-day I did not hang up my pants right after I used them, so they got a little wrinkly. I wanted to wear them so I thought I would try out the iron in our hall. Well the instructions on the pants said to use a cool iron. The iron no longer had indicators so I turned it a bit and tried it out. Well now I have some cool shiny designs on my pair of pants. So now they are still wrinkly and cool.

Last Tuesday Elder C. Scott Grow came and spoke. It was really cool.

A bunch of people have been getting packages here and they are all very generous so there is plenty of food. I enjoy having my own stash though. I also found some Brut aftershave like Ryan's and have been trying it out haha. But other than that I have a really fun zone. Some of the activities we have done have been candy catapults with the exercise band and Christmas light jump rope. The coolest thing we have found so far has been this room that has always been a mystery room and many people on our floor heard various stories as to what it contained. Well this last service day, the people on our floor left the door open. So of course we had to find out what was in there. When we checked it out, it was the coolest thing ever. This full size room was filled to the ceiling with pillows. They were everywhere. so we jumped into it and started making tunnels through it and what not. It was the most awesome thing yet. We are hoping to have a sleepover in there before we leave.

I just found out from my companion, in a letter his mom sent him, that something interesting is going to be happening in Nicaragua. This upcoming July is going to be the end of our mission presidents term, and let's just say we are going to get two new mission presidents. The mission is going to be split and we are going to be the first missionaries to open them. I guess they have been sending more and more missionaries there each transfer, getting it ready to be separated. That is all I know now, but maybe I'll hear more later.

Friday, February 5, 2010

Hey there, this is my third week now and the time is going by too fast. It seems like just yesterday I had P-Day. My P-Days are on Friday just to let you know. I got to get up nice and early this morning around 5:30 to head over the Provo Temple which was really cool. This last week was another pretty good one. At the fireside this last Tuesday, Richard G. Hinckley of the Seventy (Gordon B. Hinckley's son) and his wife came and spoke. He talked about how to make your mission lively and exciting. Elder Kunz and I got seats pretty close too so it was really cool. I saw Kaleb Lee here at the MTC for a little bit but he has already left for Brazil. The food here at the MTC is still really good and I still haven't got any of the side effects everyone has been talking about haha. I saw the grapefruit Bruce was talking about but I haven't tried it yet. Is it good? I think my body already adjusted to my diet because I am still eating as much as possible and I am still at the same weight. This whole last week it didn't snow at all but it was still pretty chilly outside. As for an " angel de nieve" I have not made one because the snow on the ground is pretty tough and would hurt haha.

My Spanish is coming along better and better as the days go by. I took a workshop on making a language study plan and I think it has helped out. I haven't had any dreams in Spanish yet but I definitely have had some weird ones. My companion, Elder Kunz, has been talking in his sleep about Spanish though. He woke me up saying " Why are you saying your lesson in Spanish Elder Fox?" I started talking to him to see if he would respond and he was talking back. Eventually I brought up the girl he was writing to and he suddenly woke up wondering why I was talking about her and what other questions I had been asking him haha.

Sorry I can't send everyone separate letters because the stamps add up fast so hopefully it is alright that I answer your questions and what not all on one email. As for things I need, I am doing fine. If you were wanting to send something though, candy or what ever you think might be fun is always nice haha.

Oh, I almost forgot, that one game is called Ninja Destruction. A better description would have to be that everyone starts with their hands in the middle standing in a circle. Everyone then jumps away from the circle into their choice of positions with there hands ready for striking and you stay in that position. You then take turns around the circle trying to slap another players hand or hands. The person being attacked tries to avoid the strike. Whoever is the last ninja wins. Well I have ten seconds left so talk to you next week.

Elder Ochs

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This is where I'll be for the next 2 years while serving a mission. Please write me and let me know how your doing and I'll reply back as soon as possible.

I'll be in Nicaragua and I can only receive pouch mail, meaning postcards and letters that are single sheet, folded into three-panels, and taped at the top only (no envelopes). You can also send mail to me using www.dearelder.com for free. My pouch mail address is: